EMA Official Calls AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Very Beneficial For Elderly

Vaccine AstraZeneca. (Wikimedia Commons / gencat)

JAKARTA - Head of the European Union Medicines Agency (EMA) COVID-19 task force for drug regulators, Marco Cavaleri, said the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has a favorable risk-benefit profile for all age groups, especially the elderly. 60 years.

This statement straightens out a report by the Italian newspaper La Stampa, which said Cavaleri said countries should avoid giving vaccines to people over 60 years of age in addition to younger age groups, amid fears of blood clots being extremely rare and because of alternative vaccines. available.

"Unfortunately my words have not been interpreted correctly in a recent interview with La Stampa. The AstraZeneca vaccine maintains a favorable risk-benefit profile at all ages, but especially in the elderly over 60 years," Cavaleri said in a statement to Reuters. , as quoted Monday, June 14.

The EMA assesses that the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and can be used for all age groups over 18 years. But some EU member states have stopped giving it to people under a certain age, usually ranging from 50 to 65, limiting its use to the older ones. Meanwhile, cases of blood clots are very rare, especially among young people.

On Sunday evening, La Stampa changed the title of his article online and added clarification with Cavaleri's later comments on his article. Editor Massimo Giannini said he had no further comment.

Earlier this week, the Italian government said it would limit use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to people over the age of 60, after a teenager who received the shot died of a rare blood clot.

Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza told reporters on Sunday that Italy will continue to use the AstraZeneca vaccine for those over the age of 60, including those who have not received the first injection.

Please note, like most European Union countries, Italy briefly stopped AstraZeneca vaccinations in March, due to concerns about the extremely rare blood clotting problem.

However, a month later, Pizza Country returned to using this vaccine after the EMA said the benefits outweigh any risks, with the recommendation to use it more for the elderly over 60 years.